Virtual reality is the simulation of a real or imagined environment that can be sensed. One particular type of virtual reality is that experience that can be visually sensed in three dimensions and may additionally provide an interactive experience. A sensory experience in virtual reality may include a visual experience with full real-time motion possibly accompanied by sound and tactile and other forms of sensory perception.
One form of virtual reality is a three-dimensional (3-D) image that can be explored interactively at a personal computer. With this form of virtual reality, one can control the experience by manipulating keys or a mouse so that the content of the image moves in some direction or zooms in or out. As the images become larger and interactive controls more complex, the perception of “reality” increases. More sophisticated efforts involve such approaches as wrap-around display screens and haptics joystick devices that let one feel the display images.
VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) is a language for describing 3-D image sequences and possible user interactions to go with them. Using VRML, one can build a sequence of visual images into Web settings with which a user can interact by viewing, moving, rotating, and otherwise interacting with an apparently 3-D scene. For example, one can view a room and use controls to move about the room, as one would experience it if one were walking through it in real space.